ThriftyFun Recipes - February 26, 2008

Thank you Louise, Stella, Debra, Keeper, Margaret, Evelyn, Christina, Tammy and Connie for today's recipes!

Recipe Contest Winner!

Here's last week's recipe contest winner!

Real Easy Taco Salad
By Judy from LeRoy, NY

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Recipe Requests:

• Tomato Relish Wild's Ezy-sauce
• Recipes for Xpress 101
• Recipe for Bourbon Chicken

Today's Food Tips:

• Use Italian Dressing To "Fix" Overcooked Food
• Vinegar to Remove Smelly Cooking Odors
• Add Aluminum Foil to Your Bread Bowl
• Avoid Domed Burgers By Indenting Middle

Today's Contest Recipes:

• Easy Pie Crust Recipe
• Pecan Pie Bars
• Roasted Cheddar Potatoes
• Taco Mac
• Extra-Easy Spinach Lasagna

Robins's Recipe Corner:

• Vegetable-Clam Chowder
• Baked Corn Casserole
• Bored with Lettuce Salad
• Crock Pot Stroganoff
• Almond Vegetable Mandarin

Crafting for Fun and Money!

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Tomato Relish Wild's Ezy-sauce

I would like the recipe for tomato relish using Wild's Ezy-sauce.

Teena from Highclere, Tasmania

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Recipes for Xpress 101

Will anyone share recipes for the Xpress 101?

Brenda from Haverhill

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Recipe for Bourbon Chicken

Would anyone have a recipe for Bourbon Chicken like they serve at the mall? It would be great to make something like that at home.

Denise from Nebraska

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Use Italian Dressing To "Fix" Overcooked Food

I have to tell everyone out there about a little tip I've came up with from pure necessity. I was in a hospital in Los Angeles for a week and, after the first meal, I knew I had to do something to the food to be able to eat it because I am not a vegetarian. My chicken was baked DRY and I almost threw it out, until I looked at the little packages of Italian dressing they supplied, and I thought "heck why not, I can't make it taste any worse."

To make a long story short, I used 2 packages on the chicken and gosh it was delicious. I used the dressing on the dry green beans, tomatoes and on a piece of baked fish. I liked all of it.

By Louise from Cibola, AZ

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Vinegar to Remove Smelly Cooking Odors

After cooking fish, broccoli or anything with an odor, simply set a bowl of vinegar in the room overnight and the odor will be gone.

By Debra from Hampton, Tennessee

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Add Aluminum Foil to Your Bread Bowl

To keep rolls or other bread items warm longer, crumple aluminum foil at the bottom of your bread bowl. Then put your bread napkin in as usual. This is especially great for parties or potlucks when the bread will have to sit out for a long period of time.

By Stella from Manchester, WA

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Avoid Domed Burgers By Indenting Middle

Avoid the dome effect when cooking hamburgers (your burger plumped in the middle). Before cooking, make a large enough indent in the middle on both sides. Works for me.

Source: myself

By Keeper from NC

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Easy Pie Crust Recipe

This is the pie crust recipe cut in half of what we use at the local church and grange It's soooo easy to roll. Just let it get cold before you roll. I make the half recipe of this for myself and freeze the rest in pie top size in saran wrap. This is the half recipe, it makes 4 whole pies.

Ingredients

• 8 cups flour
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 4 tsp. salt
• 3 1/2 cups Crisco
• 2 Tbsp. vinegar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup water

Directions

It's absolutely fool proof. We have used this recipe to make over 200 pies in one day and believe me, ANYONE can roll it. We sell out of whole baked and frozen pies, plus slices.

Good luck!

By Margaret from Dudley, MA

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Pecan Pie Bars

Enjoy one of these with a cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate!

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup butter or margarine, cut up
• 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2-1/2 cups finely chopped pecans
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13x9-inch pan. Combine sugar, flour and salt in a large bowl. With a pastry blender or fork, put in the 3/4 cup butter and mix until mixture resembles very fine crumbs. Press mixture evenly into greased pan, using a piece of plastic wrap to press crumb mixture firmly into pan. Bake for 17-20 minutes or until lightly browned. Combine brown sugar, corn syrup and 2 cups butter in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring gently. Remove from heat. Stir 1/4 of the hot mixture into beaten eggs; add to remaining hot mixture and blend well. Stir in pecans and vanilla. Pour filling over baked crust. Bake for 35 minutes or until set. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Cut into 16 bars.

By Evelyn from Greeley, CO

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Roasted Cheddar Potatoes

Ingredients

• 1 24-ounce package frozen potato wedges (skins on)
• 2 Tbsp. cooking oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. smoked paprika or paprika
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 cup shredded white or other cheddar cheese (4 oz.)
• 2/3 cup crushed croutons (about 1 cup croutons)
• Dairy sour cream (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven according to package directions for potatoes. Place frozen potatoes in a large self-sealing plastic bag. Combine cooking oil, garlic, paprika, and salt. Drizzle over potato wedges. Seal bag and shake to coat potatoes. Lightly coat a 15x10x1-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Spread potatoes in a single layer on prepared pan. Bake potato wedges according to package directions, turning once. In another small bowl combine the cheese and croutons. Sprinkle over the potatoes the last 3 minutes of baking. Use a large spatula to transfer potato wedges to a platter or large plate (keep potatoes in a single layer). Serve with sour cream, if desired. Makes 8 servings.

Source: Source: Better Homes and Gardens

• http://www.bhg.com/recipes/?_requestid=311887

By Christina

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Taco Mac

Ingredients

• 1 box mac and cheese
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 1/2 lb. ground beef, browned
• one onion chopped
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup black beans

Directions

Cook box of macaroni as package instructs. Add browned ground beef, sauteed onion and other ingredients to pot of mac and cheese. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water. Depends on your preference as to how moist you want it. Heat through and serve with corn bread and green salad.

Enjoy!

By Tammy from Canton, Ohio

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Extra-Easy Spinach Lasagna

Ingredients

• 1 container (15 oz.) ricotta cheese
• 1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
• 2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
• 1 jar (1 lb. 10 oz.) Prego Fresh Mushroom Italian Sauce (3 cups)
• 6 uncooked lasagna noodles
• 1/4 cup water

Directions

Mix ricotta cheese, spinach and 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Spread 1 cup pasta sauce in 2-quart shallow baking dish. Top with 3 lasagna noodles and half the spinach mixture. Repeat layers. Top with remaining pasta sauce. Slowly pour water around inside edges of baking dish. Cover. Bake at 400 degrees F for 40 minutes. Uncover. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake 10 minutes or until hot. Let stand 10 minutes.

Tip: To thaw Spinach, microwave on HIGH 3 minutes, breaking apart with fork halfway through heating.

Source: From Campbell's Kitchen newsletter

By Connie from Cotter, AR

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Vegetable-Clam Chowder

Ingredients

• 2 medium carrots, sliced (about 1/2 cup)
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped (about 1 1 /2 cups)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 c. finely chopped celery
• 1 can minced clams, undrained)
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp. instant chicken bouillon
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• dash pepper

Directions

Combine carrots, potatoes, onion, celery, and liquid from clams in 2 qt. microwave-safe casserole. Cover with lid. Microwave on high 10-12 minutes or until veggies are tender, stirring once or twice. Combine milk, flour, bouillon, salt, and pepper, mix until smooth. Add to veggies. Microwave on high, uncovered, 5-5 1/2 minutes or until mixture boils and thickens, stirring twice. Stir in clams. Makes about 8 servings.

Note: A variation is to add one (6 oz.) package cooked frozen tiny shrimp, thawed, can also be added with the clams. Microwave on high 1-2 minutes or until heated.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Baked Corn Casserole

Ingredients

• 1 can cream style corn
• 1 can whole kernel corn
• 1 cup macaroni
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 stick margarine (or less)

Directions

Mix all together and bake in 2 qt. casserole for 1 hour at 350 degrees F.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Bored with Lettuce Salad

Ingredients

Dressing:

• 2 cups real mayonnaise
• 1/8 cup horseradish
• 2 tsp. dry mustard
• 2 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. seasoned salt

• 1 can baby shrimp (opt.)
• 1 pkg. cherry tomatoes
• 1 can pitted ripe olives, sliced
• 1 can water chestnuts, sliced
• 1 bunch broccoli, cut up
• 1 bunch cauliflower, cut up

Directions

Blanch broccoli and cauliflower; combine with remaining salad ingredients and toss with dressing.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Crock Pot Stroganoff

Ingredients

• 2 lb. lean stew meat
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can cream of celery soup
• 1 pkg. dry onion soup mix
• 1 can mushrooms and liquid (4 oz.)

Directions

Mix all ingredients in crock pot. Turn to low in early morning. It will be ready to eat for 5:00 dinner. Serve over noodles or mashed potatoes. To speed up cooking, turn heat to high.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Almond Vegetable Mandarin

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced carrots
• 1 1/2 cups green beans, cut in 1 inch pieces
• 3 Tbsp. salad oil
• 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced cauliflower
• 3/4 cup sliced green onions
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 3 tsp. chicken stock base
• 3 tsp. cornstarch
• 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
• 3/4 cup unblanched whole almonds

Directions

Cook and stir carrots and beans with oil in skillet over medium high heat 2 minutes. Add cauliflower and onion; cook, 1 minute longer. Add mix of water, chicken stock base, cornstarch, and garlic. Cook and stir until thickened. Vegetables should be crisp-tender. If they need further cooking, reduce heat; cover and steam to desired doneness. Add almonds.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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